Typically, utilizing a master gaming controller, a gaming machine controls various combinations of devices that allow a player to play a game on the gaming machine and also encourage game play on the gaming machine. For example, a game played on a gaming machine usually requires a player to input money or an indicia of credit into the gaming machine, indicate a wager amount, and initiate game play. These steps require the gaming machine to control input devices, such as bill validators and coin acceptors, to accept money into the gaming machine and recognize user inputs from devices, including key pads, button pads, card readers, and ticket readers, to determine the wager amount, and initiate game play. After game play has been initiated, the gaming machine determines a game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense an award of some type depending on the outcome of the game.
Different gaming machines have different capabilities and need to be configured differently. For example, Class II gaming machines have different capabilities from those of Class III gaming machines. For example, the latter will generally have a device for independently and randomly determining a game outcome, e.g., by using a random number generator. By contrast, Class II gaming machines display game outcomes that are determined, e.g., by a central game server.
Moreover, gaming machines with similar capabilities can be configured to provide different functions. For example, Class III gaming machines and some types of Class II gaming machines (or similar devices such as video lottery terminals) may be configured to operate as “stand-alone” devices or as networked devices. Some gaming machines may be configured to dispense payouts in cash and others may issue a ticket to be redeemed for cash. Traditionally, gaming machines have been configured to play a particular type of game, but some novel gaming machines developed by IGT can be configured to allow the same gaming machine to play various types of games.
The process of configuring gaming machines and/or of verifying the configuration of gaming machines can be tedious and time-consuming. An operator is typically required to configure an older gaming machine (e.g., one of IGT's S-2000 gaming machines) by unlocking the gaming machine with a special key and then responding to a sequence of prompts by pressing buttons. Many such devices lack a full-sized display screen and have only a small display for displaying the sequence of prompts. Some such displays are so small that code must be used for each configuration parameter. An operator must know these codes or must refer to a reference, such as a code book, to interpret the codes. If an operator responds to one prompt incorrectly, the operator may need to go through the whole sequence again to configure the machine properly. Retrofitting older machines with a larger display screen could alleviate some of these problems, but this solution would be costly.
Newer video gaming machines have full-sized display screens, some of which have touch-screen capability. These gaming machines typically have more convenient menus for configuration than do older gaming machines. However, these menus are not standardized. This lack of standardization slows the process of configuring such machines and is believed to be a source of operator error. Moreover, an operator needs to interrupt game play on such a gaming machine in order to view the menus and configure the machine. Such interruptions cause inconvenience to the player and may reveal information to the player that the gaming establishment wishes to remain confidential.
For the foregoing reasons and other reasons, it would be desirable to provide novel methods and devices for configuring gaming machines that address these and other limitations of the prior art.